Road-cart



(No Model.)

G. W. IRISH.

ROAD CART.

No. 433,171. Patented July 29,1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE IV. IRISH, OF GRAND LEDGE, MICHIGAN.

ROAD- CART.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,171, dated July 29, 1890.

Application filed November 12, 1889. Serial No. 329,989. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE \V. IRISH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Ledge, in the county of Eaton and State of Miehigamhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road-Carts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to those two-wheeled vehicles commonly known as road-carts, and my object is to produce a more cheap, durable, and easy-riding cart than has hitherto been in vogue.

WVith these ends in view my invention consists of the peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, more fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aperspective view of my complete device; Fig. 2, a rear elevation; Fig. 3, a plan View; and Fig. 4, a detail view, enlarged, of the seat portion.

The reference-figure 1 denotes the shafts, which are rigidly secured to the axle 3, in the usual manner, by means of the irons 2. The axle 3 is composed of two shoulders 4:, to which the shafts are secured, as before described, and a long curved connection 5. This connection 5 has a short upright portion 6 at either end, by means of which it is rigidly secured to the short portions at, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. On the inner ends of the shoulders 4 hooks 7 are formed, which are curved upwardly and in toward the shafts. The main spring 8 is hung on these hooks by means of the shackles 9, and is located directlyover and parallel with the axle 3,

Spring 8 is an ordinary leaf spring, having the form of one-half of an elliptical spring, and at its highest part is rigidly secured to the standard 10, which consists of a single piece of bar-iron bent in the shape of an inverted bow. The standard 10 is journaled at 11 to the rods 12. Thus the spring is allowed to maintain a vertical position, and all twist ing and cramping of the same is avoided. The rods 12 from the points 11 are bent in the usual manner to support the footn'est 13, and

at their outer ends they are loosely mounted on the cross bar or rod 14-, to give lateral play when any unevenness in the road is encountered. The crossbar 14; is mounted at either end in springs 15. These springs are secured to the shafts at their base, being riveted thereto and lying contiguous therewith until the shafts begin to extend horizontally, when they (the springs), extend at a slight downward angle from said shafts, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1. Hangers 16 are provided, which depend from the whitiietree cross bars 17 and limit the downward play of the rod 14. When the back or main seat spring is properly adjusted to the strength of the two forward springs, the person riding gets a rocking mo tion, which is very easy. This is made possible by the journals 11, and when one wheel drops into a rut or meets an obstacle in the road the jar is relieved by the springhangers at the rear and the front hangers sliding 011 the rod 14. The bent rods 12 are extended beyond the upper edge of the foot-rest to form a frame or support for the seat, the lateral rods 18 being braced by the curved rods 19, which are secured at their upper ends to the .rearward ends of the rods 18 and at their lower ends to the curved portion of the rods 12 beneath the foot-rest.

The seat 20 is mounted between the lateral rods 18, and is arranged toswing forward and backward. This seat consists of the bottom piece 21, the uprights 22, and the railing 23, running around the seat and connected to the upper ends of the uprights. Rods 24 extend. beneath the seat-bottom lengthwise to the same and are secured rigidly thereto, projeeting slightly at either end, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4;. The seat is connected to its frame by short hangers 25, which are journaled' at their lower ends to the stationary rods 24 and at their upper ends enter slots 26, formed in rods 18, in which they are pivoted by means of pins 27, running transversely through said slots and said hangers. These slots are made flaring, as shown in dotted lines, so that the hangers can swing in the same. Thus a swinging seat is provided, which, however, remains stationary, while its bearings oscillate.

It will be readily perceived that an exceed ingly easy riding sulky is constructed, in which horse motion is to a great extent overcome.

It is evident that many slight changes which might suggest themselves to a skilled mechanic could be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In aroad-cart, the combination of a main seat-spring located over the axle, so as to have lateral play, a standard rigidly secured on said spring and journaled to the seat-framing, forward springs secured to the shafts, and a crossrod mounted in said springs, the forward partof the seat-framing beingmounted to have lateral play on said rod,'substantially as described.

2. In aroad-cart, the combination of a main seatspring hung so as to have lateral play,a

standard rigidly mounted on said spring, footrest-supporting rods, in which said standard is journaled, forward springs secured to the shafts, and a cross-rod mounted in said springs, the forward ends of said foot-rest-supporting rods being loosely mounted on said cross-rod to have lateral play, substantially as described.

3. In a road-cart, the combination of a main seat-spring located over the axle, hooks pro- 3' ecting from the axle, suitable connections between said spring and said hooks to allow lateral play of the former,a standard rigidly secured on said spring and journaled to the seatframing, forward springs secured to the shafts, and a crossrod connectingsaid springs, the forward part of the seat-framing having lateral play on said rod, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4:. In a road-cart, the combination of footrest supports forming parallel horizontal rods at their upper ends and provided with longitudinal slots, a seat mounted between said rods, rods extending across the bottom of said seat and rigidly secured thereto, and hangers pivoted at their upper ends in said slots and at their lower ends journaled on the projecting ends of the'seat-rods, substantially as described.

5. In a road-cart, the combination of a main seat spring located over the axle, foot-rest supports, a standard rigidly mounted on said spring andjournaled at its upper ends on said foot-rest supports, forward springs secured to the shafts, a cross-rod connecting them, the forward ends of said foot-rest supports being loosely mounted on said rod, and a swinging seat pivotally hung from the upper portions of said foot-rest supports, substantially as d escribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. W. IRISH.

Witnesses:

W. R. CLARKE, R. I. LAWsoN. 

